Arabian Business just released their 2011 Rich List featuring the wealthiest Arab men and women in the world. Kuwait came in 6th and 7th in their Top 10 list with Al Kharafi family being the 6th and Bukhamseen family the 7th. For the full report click [Here]
67 replies on “The Richest Arabs in the World”
all these are based on only declared assets. am sure there are alot unknown super rich
exactly
They don’t count anyone that is a member of a royal family in these lists usually
Yup, once assets of a Royal Family are declared, the one’s above will look like dwarfs.
And we will still continue to look like Bacteria.
What is so sad is that I can hardly see to drive down the 40 freeway at night because most of the lights are broken, look left and right and there is loads of trash all over the country and the metal barriers are broken all the way down the road with shabby landscaping and these people hold all the wealth. Certaily it is not going into the country!
These people deserve to hold all this wealth, they worked for it and they earned it. Allah ykather min khairhum wekather min minkhairna.
The government has to fix these problems in the country, and they’re doing ok I guess.
min khairna*
How do you know that they deserve all this wealth? Did they ever bank using Riba? Did they pay all their zakat according to Sharia?
Gabel lated5al fee aldeen te3alam awal.
@Mark why the censorship?
Because you were turning it into a religious post.
he mentioned religion first, kalma 3ala gad 3agla
Of course it isn’t because it is not their job to do it; it is the government’s job – and believe me, the government has way more billions than these guys.
How is that the fault of the government/the rich?
Trash everywhere: The fault of idiots throwing it out their window
Barriers broken: The fault of idiots running into them
Lights broken: Probably also an idiot running into them. If you mean the lights are off, that’s because they alternate turning some of them off to save power.
That said we actually have very good highways, the 40 especially is actually comparable to developed countries. The problem with our roads is the ones inside specific areas like Hawalli, Salmiya, Jleeb (this last one is horrible). They’re too old and cramped, those areas are really population dense.
The thing is those areas have mostly foreigners living in them so they have nobody to elect to represent them, in many areas of Kuwait you actually have a council type thing where you can suggest changes, construction, register complaints.
Also I sincerely doubt you’ve been outside the country if you think the 40 is dark, Kuwait’s highways are more well-lit than anywhere else I’ve been. If anything it’s a huge waste of electricity.
Very true!
@aaa Until you stop lying for your country, it will never improve. Your country has more in common with India than neighboring GCC countries. Yes, I have been out of the country, Dubai, and every time I drive over the Al-Maktoum bridge, I ask God to bless Sheikh Mohammed for building one of the most beautiful WELL-LIT bridges in the Middle-East. A formative government, AHHHHH…..
It’s like you read one line of my post and ignored the rest.
You don’t need more lighting. You need people to stop being idiots. The government’s job is not to stop people from being retarded
Hahahahahahahahah & Kuwait
why isnt Shaya on that list?
AlSHAYA unlike some ppl on that list don’t like to gloat about their wealth.
well alshaya didnt hesitate “gloating” about their wealth to forbes a couple of years ago.
Kharafi’s companies are publically listed on the stock market so you can see exactly how much they are worth, Alshaya’s are not so there’s no accurate measure other than themselves. It’s not a matter of not gloating it’s a matter of not telling because they don’t have to
Oh and yeah if you’re listed on the stock market you HAVE to share financial records, if you don’t they freeze your stock
i sense jealousy…
Even though I’m not Kuwaiti, I feel a sense of pride! I think good for them!
Bin Ladin family came in 8th place… *poker face*
They’ve been very rich for a while you think Osama Bin Ladin became head of an organization by luck 😛
Al Shaya family worth $5 Billion https://www.businessinsider.com/the-richest-arabs-2010-1#12-the-al-shaya-family-4 this is in 2010 though, probably worth more now..
Kuwait wise not very accurate.
No alSayer, No alBahar, No AlGhanim, No Salem Al Ali. ETC
alKharafi took big hits in Arab world and the companies they invested in and owe substantial loans. Don’t think their ‘declared assets’ are accurate.
I think Faisal Ayar there representing Hamad Sabah Alahmed. I doubt hes worth that amount.
Kharafi’s still the richest in Kuwait, even with “big hits”. If you’re counting top 10 in the world I don’t think any other Kuwaiti family approaches Kharafi.
And again they don’t count members of Royal Families
@aaa And explain to us why this family can’t donate museums, cultural centers, educational facilities, or sports arenas with their name splashed on them? Explain to us why they can’t do something for their nation. Oh… that’s five-star quality.
Why direct the question at me? Go ask him yourself
@aaa LMAO! well said!
And where is alShaye?
busy at sheikh shack
+1
I think that it is futile when they do not contribute to their country in the forms of social projects, wings on hospitals, sports stadiums. They can slap their names on it if they want, but build a cultural center or a museum and dedicate it to your nation. Although this is a welfare society, these merchant families need to give back to your community.
Ironically ? The Kuwaiti government won’t let them .
+1 great post
Many do and don’t brag about it
well when you donate something and name it after yourself you’re kinda bragging bout it.
Well I suppose their wives are going to go downtown and buy the 70,000 KD purse at Hermes, because most of us can’t.
yawn – people who measure their self worth through wealth bore the shit out of me.
Yawn…..
I would be impressed if they ranked high in charitable contributions.
+1
A lot of people don’t list what their contributions are because you’re not supposed to brag about charity.
@aaa You’re missing the point – look around you there is not one facility donated to the people of Kuwait in Kuwait. In a small country with a host of social problems you would think that someone would want to improve the situation due to the fact that the government fails to do their job in building museums, cultural centers, etc. It is not all about business, they should be giving back to their community and yes, it should be public. What is happening is the money goes abroad and not into the country. You will be judged on this and it does affect national pride.
I hear this a lot but what are people looking for exactly? There are already museums. You can say “better museums” but the fact is demand for them is not that high. There are already the poetry libraries, Calligraphy centers, Planterium etc. etc. and as far as I know they are all pretty much ignored by the majority of Kuwait. Don’t blame the government for failing the public when you’re confusing your desires with the public’s desires.
why aren’t you suppose to brag about charity? you can have a list of achievements, but cant have a list of contributions?
Because it’s tacky to donate to inflate your ego rather than donate because you genuinely want to help someone.
Hoping that Mr Khuory did actually donate a big part of his wealth to the palestinian cause.
Mo money Mo money….. Money by Pink Floyd is the first song they listen to in the morning for inspiration to make more green
There go the gold diggers….
now I aint sayin they’re all gold diggers…
kharafi retail????
more like construction
Trace their wealth…
They did not give anything to the country, its people, or anyone… They did not make an ipod or iphone… they did not invent a keyboard or mouse, they did not add anything.
All their wealth is sucked from the country.
They get in government and parliament… then they either take government contracts directly, or pass laws that allows them to take money that government give to the people. Then they expanded further by using the government as pressure to invest abroad.
And the ipod and iphone go back to the US? No, they go back to Apple who spends it on their operations because they are a business whose goal it is to make money. The ipod was a music player, there are hundreds that do the exact same thing but that didn’t have the marketing budget to get as big.
I don’t get why people think Western businesses exist to enrich the world but only mean uncle Kharafi wants to take their money. All business is money.
And besides the protests in the US right now are over this exact same issue happening over there (the corporations sucking from the country and not giving back) so your examples are pretty weak, just an example of how strong Apple’s marketing was that it got people to think it invented a life saving device
very un true . Alkharafi , Alshaya , Alghanim , Alkhalaf , Alsager , Albahar , almarzouq , alnisif , and many many large and small merchants made their money trading between India , Kuwait , Iraq , Persia as it was called Prior to 1938 and Africa from as far back as the late 19th Century . Kuwait depended on many merchant Families and traders for the majority of its wealth and Economy till 1950’s when oil changed the economic structure of the country and the Government had a source of income other than the 4% import duty . this is history and fact .
your telling me that alkharafi did nothing for its country? alkharafi was the only family to have 2 ports out of 10 during the 1930’s. All the boats that were in the ports were sent to countries to supply the kuwaiti citizens, Bader Ahmad Al-Kharafi used to sail months to india just to get water from India in order for the kuwaiti people to drink pure water. So before you say these people did nothing, get your facts straight
Wow.
@3azeez Finally someone got the point!
I don’t believe for one minute that this is accurate the numbers are way to small!
I wish I was that rich! I would buy you all a 70,000kd bag!
People who have that kind of money break my heart. Every Million equals Dysfunction and Misery. So sad.
The people that are named in the list worked hard to earn their money, it is not their responsibility to clean up after their trash, a9lan bader al kharafi spent loads of money to help people in kuwait and out of kuwait, it is the responsibility of the government to make these repairs.
not to forget, think of all the companies alkharafi has, Americana is used by 80% of the Saudis and 65% of Kuwaitis, Kharafi National is constructing mostly everything today and not to forget Port Ghalib in Egypt, it belongs to the AlKharafi family
I understand where you guys are coming from, but what they do with their finances is their choice.They aren’t obligated to donate to charity and if they do then that’s their decision. End of story.